Leopards go three points clear as Gor Mahia drop points

Ugandan striker Samuel Ssenyonjo grabbed a hat-trick for Ingwe. He gave Leopards a 2-0 lead at halftime, with strikes in the 13th and 23rd minute.

Ssenyonjo completed his treble in the 72nd minute after converting a penalty he had won. Ssenyonjo left the pitch to a deserved standing ovation when he was replaced by Julius Masaba in the 77th minute.

Prior to the Ugandan completing his hat-trick, Robert Sichenje had made it 3-0 for Ingwe with a goal in the 48th minute.

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Dennis Oalo came the closest to scoring for Tusker but his 63rd-minute hit the crossbar with Humphrey Katasi well-beaten. The result increased Leopards’ points tally to 30, three more than second-placed Gor Mahia. Tusker dropped to 5th with 24 points.

Speaking after the match, AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani praised Ssenyonjo’s performance.

“He is now picking up after a slow start. As a foreign player, he has been under immense to perform. We have been working on his mentality and today he has been superb,” Ambani said.

“Being three points clear at the top of the table does not give me any pressure. It puts me and the team in the right frame of mind to approach the next game and focus on widening the gap to increase our chances of winning the lead,” the coach said.

Tusker FC coach Charles Okere rued what he described as a tricky day for his team.

Stalemate at Gusii Stadium

“Today we were disorganised. We gave AFC Leopards too much space. We were not compact as a team,” said Okere, adding that the club is planning to reinforce its attack and defence.

“Today’s result shows that we need to improve our attack and defence. We have identified some targets and we will unveil them once we finalised negotiations and signing of contracts.”

At Gusii Stadium, Shabana FC’s winless run against Gor Mahia since the Kisii-based side returned to the top flight three years ago continued on after the two teams settled for a goalless draw.

The hype ahead of the fixture, which is now famously known as the Nyanza derby, was massive, the crowd big and excitement at its best. However, the game failed to live up to its expectations.

Apart from first half chances when Shabana’s Humphrey Obina hit the crossbar and a fine save from Shabana goalkeeper Stephen Otieno, who tipped out Enock Morrison’s effort for a corner kick, there was nothing to write home about the fixture as both sides played a cautious game.

Read: Leopards claw crisis-hit Nairobi United to go top of the table

Gor Mahia dominated the midfield but Shabana were solid in defence and launched attacks through the wings.

Gor's coach, Charles Akonnor, and his Shabana counterpart Peter Okidi expressed satisfaction with the results.

“It is a fair result considering that we were coming from a 3-1 loss against Nairobi United. My defence has done a good job and we have come out with a clean sheet. We tried all the techniques including long balls when necessary. We now go back to work on our scoring,” Okidi said.

The youthful tactician added that he was elated with the return of some of his key players, including Brian Michira, who have been out for long because of injuries. Okidi said they were making a return at a time when the team needs them most. 

“Their return is like us making new additions to the squad during this January window. We look forward to welcoming them back into the team.”

On his part, Akonnor said the fixture between Gor Mahia and Shabana has always been a tricky one due the teams’ history and rivalry. He said the result could have easily gone either way. 

The Ghanaian national said he was delighted with his team’s play, noting that the point earned was key in their pursuit to reclaim the title which they lost last season to Kenya Police FC.

Following the draw, Gor Mahia remained second but with their points tally increasing to 27. However, the record league champions have two matches in hand. On the other hand, Shabana moved up one place to fourth position with 24 points.